Bicycles are vehicles. They have the same right to use the road as cars. Cars have no right to a minimum speed on surface streets. Cars have an exclusive right to freeways. High rates of speed are poor etiquette on bicycle routes, in my neighborhood only the fast cyclists ride in the street but at speeds that would be inappropriate on the bike path in that area.
Bicycle infrastructure tends to be an afterthought, even in the best cases. Can you describe this bike lane in more detail? Is it completely isolated from traffic? Is it mixed use with pedestrians?
Here in Seattle the divided bike lanes run parallel to roads with a curb and parking between. This seems good but at intersections bike lanes still cross side streets. That creates an opportunity for (especially right) turning traffic to not see cyclists and turn into them when the bicycle is crossing, even with dedicated bicycle lights. Riding in the street is your best chance to be seen, and on a bicycle being seen is your best chance to stay alive.
John Forester's treatise "Effective Cycling" was a huge influence on me when it came to urban cycling.
Generally no one has a right to any specific minimum speed, but most states do have laws against impeding the normal flow of traffic [1].
[1] https://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/traffic-tickets/impedin...
First, those involving cars.
- Turning Left while a bike lane is on a right.
- Cars don't yield to the bike lane before turning right
- Car occupants don't check a bike lane before opening door.
- Car parked ahead in the bike lane.
- Cars squeeze bikes next to the curb because the car can't maintain a lane / 3 foot is a really small distance at 30mph.
Next, those involving infrastructure
- Bike lane is made of segmented concrete; creating a thump and loss of traction every 3 feet, at 30mph.
- Bike lane is the gutter of the street, and street sweepers never come so it has much trash to be dodged
- Bike lane is shared with water infrastructure, where modifications lead to a longitudinal groove that is easy to get a small tire stuck in, get a flat, throw you unexpectedly.
- Bike lane is shared with storm infrastructure, so it is sloping, or has drain grates that cause bumps, loss of traction, potential to throw you -- again at 30mph
- Bike lane is "designed" for "recreation" with curves such that it is less efficient at getting from point a to b as quickly as the road.
- Need to walk their dog using their bike and don't want their dog in the bike lane.
- Can't be bothered to cross the road to the right side and instead bike on the sidewalk to avoid other cyclists coming head on in the bike line on this side.
- They just feel like it.
100% true story, I had a cyclist yell at me and call me names because I had the audacity to stop walking across the intersection as the cyclist blew through the red like at 30km/h. I suppose stopping to avoid getting hit by them interrupted their "flow" who knows.
A small number of cyclists seem to have all the excuses for bad behaviour, but it doesn't make it ok. We need the infrastructure for cyclists, and bad behaviour by some is not a reason not to build it. But cyclists could definitely do more to be safe around pedestrians and at least try to live with drivers.
Personally, when I cycle I obey all the stop lights and stop signs, I don't bike on the sidewalk, and instead of making a left I go through the intersection and wait for the light to change because my life is worth much more to me than trying to make some political show by blocking traffic in a left turn lane. It's just crazy dangerous doing that, even when there is a dedicated bike area for left turns. Blocking traffic won't make drivers any safer.
Are you asking? Post the location and I'd be happy to weigh in from a cyclist's point of view.
The same reason we might invest in traffic lights or stop signs even though cars regularly ignore them.
A more analogous would be that some cars choose to go off roading, or spend most of their time in driveways or parking lots - or some only drive to car shows. A much more accurate analogy would be cars that only drive in one lane and never use the left lane for passing.
* It is a long, straight, very slightly downhill segment with long sight lines and no intersections; one of the few safe sprint opportunities on my rides
* The bike lane surface is sloped slightly towards the outside of the road
* The outside half of the bike lane has several storm drains, and often some dry leaves in it
* The car speed limit is 30 mph.
All this combines to make it a fast segment where it really only feels safe to go that fast in the car lane. I'm going the car speed limit so in theory it's not slowing traffic.
In practice drivers perceive the speed limit to be the minimum they are entitled to and I get punish passed all the time there.
I primarily drive and am often nervous driving around pedestrians and cyclists. The reason for this feeling is that I understand, even if subconsciously, how easy it would be for me to harm them with my vehicle. If I imagine myself being the cyclist it's more worrying that I can't control other vehicles that could easily harm me. I constantly remind myself that the road was made for people and drivers are just one class of person -- the most dangerous one to others on the road at that.
The best piece of advice I could give is to slow down and match the bikers' speed if you don't feel safe passing.
I still felt really bad.
When people come up with reasons why that won't care because logically they'll be in the right if something bad happens. All I can think is either they are sociopath or that they deeply lack life experience.
I can't speak for all spandex wearing cyclists but when I do that it is because I enjoy the scenery and the challenge. Are you equally frustrated with RVs?
> It’s a real sense of entitlement that is just beyond me.
You are the entitled one here. You have no right to a minimum speed on a road that allows cyclists.
> But if you’re leisure riding on a road where the speed limit is 55 and sitting in the middle of the lane you’re an ass.
I do this in all cases. If you can't get your vehicle fully into another lane to pass me then it's not a safe place to pass. If the speed limit is 55 that's a narrow highway and you have no exclusive right as a car. If you want that then stick to the freeways.
If a cyclist hugs the edge of the road then drivers frequently squeeze between the cyclist and oncoming traffic. If the cyclist stays in the middle of the lane then drivers recognize they need to wait for a clear passing opportunity.
Try it, you may just like it.